Hayley Mills was such a cute precocious child-actress – what happened? She looks like she is on steroids or other substance that made her look quite pudgy around the face – not to mention having bad skin. A downside of DVD picture quality, I guess…

The movie? To be honest, I fast forwarded it after the first couple minutes. Hayley’s character was getting nauseous from smelling fish on a bus, and I was also feeling the same way. I’m pretty sure I missed nothing of importance. I saw some running around by various people, some nice rocky shoreline shot in obvious “day for night” technique, some closeups of various characters, some rather oddball outfits, and an escape from a windmill – not necessarily in that order.

I’ve read elsewhere that there was a jewel robery and a murder. Golly!

I’m glad some people liked it. Unfortunately, I could not tolerate it. I guess “The Parent Trap” is where I get off the bus.
Rating: 1 / 5

We love hayley at our house but not this film!She seemed dull,stilted and unnatural.The plot was strange and unbelievable.It wasn’t even really appropriate to watch with your children one scene shows Hayley drunk.Rent and don’t buy and watch it before your children do.It’s more for adults and children won’t really enjoy it much.
Rating: 1 / 5

Disney needed a new male teenager for adventure leads: James Macarthur was getting too old, and Tommy Kirk just wasn’t masculine enough. So he tried out Peter McEnery, a 21-year old British actor then acclaimed for his role as a gay boy who commits suicide in “Victim” (1961). But after two starring roles for Disney, Peter was fired and moved on to play a gay Russian prince, a hustler who seduces both men and women, and a lot of edgy hetero characters, usually on British television.

Why didn’t things work out? “The Moon-Spinners” was written as a tame spy-thriller with Peter and the teenage Hayley Mills involved in a minor boy-girl romance, and the colorful island of Crete providing most of the interest. But, when he is not falling in love with Hayley Mills, Peter plays Mark Camford as obviously and overtly gay, with so many longing gazes at men and witty double-entendres that one wonders why the director didn’t demand that he play the role straight. (The same thing happens in “The Fighting Prince of Donegal.)
Rating: 4 / 5

I saw this movie when I was about 13 and thought it was fabulous. I always had such fond memories of this film that I bought it for my daughters, 8 & 13. We watched it together so I could relive the experience through their eyes — we were bored silly! The movie dragged, the plot was infeasible, the acting overdone. I have never been so disappointed in my life. I still gave it a “3″ because for the past joy it gave me, but the movie itself did not age well.
Rating: 3 / 5

…it’s all very nice but not very good…” The irrepressible Hayley Mills we fell in love with in “Pollyanna” and “The Parent Trap” doesn’t fare so well in this misguided suspense drama. Teenage Nikky Ferris (Mills) and her musicologist aunt (Joan Greenwood) are visiting Crete to collect folk songs. They stay at the Moon-Spinners Inn, owned by the very sinister Stratos (Eli Wallach) and his meek sister (Irene Papas). There, Nikky meets fellow Brit Mark Camford, who is both charming and mysterious, and likes to roam the coastline alone at night. As the plot thickens, Nikky learns the connection between Mark and Stratos and finds her life is in danger.

This poorly-written story never builds up any intensity because the audience isn’t let in on the secret until half way through the film. Up until then, the characters meander endlessly and aimlessly around the island; people are shot and kidnapped, but since we don’t know why, we don’t care. There are no real thrills, the outcome is never in question, and the trumped-up romance is awkward. The idea of giving Hayley a more grown-up role falls flat, as the victim of teenage complexion and extra pounds still looks like a hyper-active youngster, way too young for her leading man. Wallach and Greenwood overact shamelessly while Papas is wasted with just a few lines. The island photography is lovely, but many outdoor scenes are obviously filmed in a studio. Hayley’s many fans may enjoy this film, but I was disappointed.
Rating: 3 / 5